Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)

This visa includes the following criteria:

1. You can only apply for this visa if you receive an invitation. To indicate your interest in applying, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
2. You must be either nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency or indicate that an eligible relative will sponsor you.
3. You must be aged under 45 to be invited to apply for the visa.
   1. If you turn 45 after receiving the invitation, you can still apply for the visa.
   2. However, if you turn 45 after submitting your EOI but before receiving the invitation, you will not be invited to apply.
4. For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation.
5. You must achieve a minimum score of 65 points in your SkillSelect Expression of Interest.
6. At the time of invitation, you must have at least Competent English. If a family member 18 years or older is applying for the visa with you, either:
   1. they must have functional English
   2. Or they must pay a second instalment visa application charge
7. Your occupation must be on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations for a Skilled Regional (subclass 491) visa.
8. You and your family members applying with you must meet the health requirement. Other non-migrating family members may also need to meet this requirement.
9. You and any members of your family who apply for the visa with you must meet certain character requirements. Other family members might also need to meet certain character requirements.
10. You and your family must have paid back any money owed to the Australian Government or have a formal arrangement in place to repay it.
11. Sign the Australian values statement if you are 18 years of age or older, confirming your commitment to respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.
12. Your immigration history is considered, and you may be ineligible if you had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused.

Nomination by an Australian state or territory government agency

If nominated for the visa, you will receive an invitation to apply. Each state and territory government agency has specific criteria for nominating applicants. For detailed information about their nomination process and requirements, contact the relevant state or territory agency directly.

Sponsorship by an eligible relative

Your sponsor must be:

1. 18 years old or older
2. usually resident in a designated area of Australia
3. be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
4. be your eligible relative or your partner’s eligible relative if your partner is also applying for this visa

An eligible relative can be:

1. a parent
2. a child or step-child
3. a brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother or step-sister
4. an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
5. a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
6. a grandparent
7. a first cousin

Your sponsorship must be approved before you can be granted a visa.

When applying for this visa, you have the option to include members of your family unit. You have the option to include them when you submit your visa application or add a dependent child afterwards, but it must be before the decision is made.

Here are the key points:

1. All family members in the visa application must satisfy the health and character requirements, irrespective of whether they plan to accompany you to Australia.
2. If your partner or dependent children are not part of this application, you must explain their exclusion.

For those considering our services, we provide an initial meeting. In this session, we will simplify the legal aspects of the visa, explain the process ahead, and address any questions you may have.

To set up an initial discussion with us, please reach out to one of our experienced immigration lawyers at (02) 9590 3987.